One in five foreign visitors entering Korea now arrives through regional airports outside the capital area, driven by expanded low-cost carrier routes and stronger international demand. The Korea Tourism Organization said regional entry points accounted for 20.7 percent of all foreign arrivals in the first half of this year. Cheongju International Airport saw the sharpest growth, while KTO said total foreign tourist arrivals reached 12.8 million through July. The agency is also expanding local tour programs, flights and transport links to sustain the trend.
Park Sung-hyeuck, president of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), speaks during its seminar held at the Plaza Hotel Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of KTO
One out of every five foreign visitors entering Korea now arrives through regional airports outside the capital area, as expanded low-cost carrier routes and surging international demand change the way international tourists travel in Korea.
According to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) at a seminar, Thursday, regional entry points such as Cheongju, Daegu, Gimhae and Jeju accounted for 20.7 percent of all foreign arrivals during the first half of this year.
Cheongju International Airport recorded a 109.1 percent jump in international arrivals compared to the same period last year. The growth was largely driven by an influx of Taiwanese travelers and an increase in budget airline flights.
